Seduction and its consequences
by Annamia
Summary: Konan seduces Kisame... and gets found out. connects with thesepeopleareus' happy story. link on my profile page. konan/kisame. konan/pein
1. Seduction

_Author's note: WARNING-- DO NOT READ THIS STORY WITHOUT READING thesepeopleareus' HAPPY STORY FIRST! OTHERWISE THIS **WILL NOT** MAKE ANY SENSE! (there's a link to her profile on my profile page).  
that said, this is an extra to afore mentioned Happy Story. while writing my parts, i discovered that i truly enjoyed playing with Konan and making her suffer. so i wrote this scene from Kisame's POV, and it's chapter... um... 12? of the Happy Story. and then i decided to write it again, this time as Konan. so here is what came of it. hope you like it!  
Disclaimer: Eris and Maddie and Michiko are thesepeopleareus' OC's. maddie is based on one of her dear friends and eris... umm... i have no idea where eris came from, actually, though i've become quite fond of her, and Michiko... i don't know about her either... anyway, i don't own anything, not even the OC's. -sigh-  
--kyra_

* * *

Konan's usual state was one of unseen apathy. True, she had emotions, just like the best of them, but she could have rivaled Itachi for hiding them. Only Pein knew the key to unlocking them, and even he occasionally had trouble. She prided herself on her inscrutability and her general aura of, 'leave me the hells alone or else." As the only woman… well, the only properly _alive_ woman in Akatsuki, she needed that tough shell. She didn't trust the men she had to live with not to attempt to ravage her in the middle of the night any more than she trusted Pein to let them get away with it. But, she had to be able to protect herself, and, to that end, she'd developed the reputation of being both a kick-ass fighter and a complete waste as a woman. It was with some smugness that she recalled the few times she had to come into contact with the others: they tended to shy away from her almost unconsciously, clearly thinking far less about taking the few vestiges of her virtue than of getting away from her as quickly as they could.

Even so, there was no denying that a little appreciation would be nice once in a while. Sure, Pein was plenty appreciative, at times, but he tended to lock himself in his study for hours – if not days – at a time without even thinking about her. Though it would be like pulling teeth to get her to admit it, Konan was lonely.

Which, of course, was why she didn't turn and run when Eris sought her out. Instead, she crossed her arms and leaned against the wall, looking the Goddess straight in the eyes. "What do you want?"

Eris smiled, displaying pointed teeth. "Just a moment of your time."

"You have me cornered. Go on."

"You may have noticed that it's been… quiet around here."

Konan sighed and shifted her weight ever so slightly. "Get to the point, Eris."

Eris' smile turned to a scowl. "I would, if you would stop interrupting me. Do you want to hear what I have to tell you or not?"

"Do I have a choice?"

"No."

"Then why bother asking? Just talk."

"Fine. Here it is: I don't like how the Leader's been treating you."

Konan stared at the teenage Goddess for a long moment, then burst into laughter. When she recovered her breath, she demanded, "What exactly do you mean by _that_?"

"Exactly what it sounds like. I don't like how he treats you."

"And how, pray tell, does he treat me?"

Eris gave her that look that said, 'You're the stupidest person I've ever met but I'm far too polite to mention it,' and said, her voice patronizing in the extreme, "He's _using_ you, Konan. He sends for you, fucks you, and sends you away. There's nothing else; no tenderness in the halls, no conversations at any other time, nothing. Can you see how that would disturb me?"

"No. Pein and I have a perfectly satisfactory agreement. What makes you think I _want_ tenderness and/or conversation?"

Eris just looked at her. "I'm the Goddess of Chaos, dear. I know this kind of thing."

Konan scowled. "You are the Goddess of irritating femininity, apparently. Not all women like being sweet and lovey-dovey, you know."

Eris managed to look both insulted and pleased at the same time. "I'll forgive the insult this once. And I'm not suggesting you want to be lovey-dovey, I'm suggesting it would be nice not to be ignored for days at a time. I've seen you watch Michiko and her train of men. Admit it, you want that too. You want to wake up in the morning and know there are people who want you. Not just as a fighter or as a fuck-buddy, but who want _you_."

"You are implying that Deidara wants Michiko for herself, not for her body?"

"Oh course he does. If all he wanted was her body, then he wouldn't have killed himself."

"He didn't. You murdered him."

"Assisted suicide. It makes no difference in the long run."

"I fail to see what this has to do with _me_."

"Just this: I know what you want better than you do. You want to be admired and cherished. The Leader won't do that for you. Trust me on this one. I'm the one who's always watching, and I _know_. Deidara and Itachi don't have time for anyone but their dead love. So your best bet is one of the others. I'd go for Kisame, if I were you. He's got to be tired of not being able to kiss his little ghost-girl by now."

"When did this evolve into a proper scheme? Don't I even get a say in this?"

"Of course you do. I'm just giving helpful suggestions. You don't _have_ to do it, of course, but I thought you'd want to know." And, with that, the wretched creature vanished, stepping back into the wall like it wasn't even there. Konan scowled horrifically after her, then stalked away, muttering under her breath about meddling goddesses who should do everyone a favor and get themselves unbound from the forest and wreak havoc somewhere else. But, even as she made her way back to her own room, she couldn't keep the thoughts Eris had planted in her out of her mind.

* * *

"Hello Konan. I haven't seen you around lately."

Konan shrugged, walking farther into the kitchen and trying to convince herself that she wasn't completely mad. "I've been busy."

Kisame nodded, turning back to whatever he was doing on the counter. It appeared to involve copious amounts of raw fish, but she didn't want to speculate any farther. When thinking about Kisame and fish in the same sentence, it was better not to ask any questions. She crossed the kitchen to get a closer look, ending up slightly closer to him than she'd intended. It was clear her noticed, from the unconscious shifting and glancing away that he began to indulge himself in.

Finally, he couldn't seem to bear the growing tension any longer. "Can I, um, help you with anything?"

She hesitated, wondering again just what she was getting into. Pein was going to _murder_ her when he found out… if he found out. She'd never considered that possibility before. He didn't have to know… right? She shrugged. Might as well go for it all.

"What's it like?"

"What's what like?"

"Kissing a ghost."

He blinked, obviously not expecting that question. "What?"

"You heard me." Honestly, how often would she have to repeat herself with him? Pein was just as bad. Apparently men spent so much of their time thinking about themselves and how perfect they were that there wasn't any space in their heads left for skills such as listening.

"It's… interesting. Why do you ask?"

"Do you miss kissing normal people?"

He seemed to give her question serious consideration, something she hadn't expected. To be perfectly honest, she wasn't sure _what_ she'd expected, but it certainly wasn't a well thought out and honest answer. She'd come into the kitchen with the vague idea of either snogging him senseless then and there or turning and running the moment she spoke. As it turned out, she'd done neither, and she didn't know how to respond to his taking her seriously. She began to realize, with a slight dropping of her stomach, just how much she didn't know about men. Maybe Eris was right after all. Maybe she _did_ need a real change. Then she shook the thought out of her head. This was _Eris_ she was thinking about. Eris didn't do anything for anyone's good but her own. Even so, there was no denying that she'd been right…

"I hadn't really thought about it."

Konan forced her mind back to the conversation. "Oh."

There seemed to be nothing more to say, and Kisame turned back to his fish. He seemed very intent on _not_ looking at her and, for some reason, that infuriated her. How _dare _he ignore her? It was one thing when Pein did it. Pein was the Leader, the One Who Sent Them On Dangerous Missions Which He Claimed Were Very Important And Then Threatened Them With Dastardly Punishments When They Failed. Kisame was a mere pawn in the organization, important, but not vital. He had no right to ignore her.

She caught his hand as he turned to deposit his meal into the frying pan, not giving herself time to regret anything. She drew him towards her, ignoring the fish dropping from his cutting board into the open flame, leaned forward, and kissed him. She'd meant to start off slowly, meant to give both of them time to adjust to the sensation, but somehow, only moments after they'd made the contact, she felt herself working up to a state of passion worthy of Pein's bed.

He finally pulled away slightly, doing his best to catch his breath.

"We shouldn't be doing this." He took a step forward as he did so, completely undermining his words.

"No one has to know." After all, there was no reason this had to go farther than the kitchen, right? She distracted him from her sudden doubts by drawing him still closer until they were almost melded together.

She knew she had him. She might never have done this kind of thing before, but she _was_ a female, and her inner feminine sense was informing her that he was in the palm of her hand. He was completely helpless. She'd bound him as effectively as Sasori could have, without nearly as much effort on her part. In fact, she'd rather enjoyed it.

The flame behind them popped suddenly, and they both turned to face it. Almost distractedly, Kisame yanked water from the nearby stove, sending it flooding onto the stove. He started to turn back to her, then stopped, his head snapping up, his expression morphing into one of utter horror.

"What?" She glanced up at him, wondering what about the stove had sparked such a change.

"Sir Leader is going to _kill _us."

She pulled her breath through her teeth in an inaudible hiss. So he'd realized too, had he? There was no help for it. She'd have to tell him the bare facts. "Pein's a big boy. He can take it."

Kisame scowled, apparently not accepting this simple explanation. "He is the _Leader_. I am his subordinate. I'd like to keep having a house to live in, thanks all the same."

"He won't kick you out. You're fairly indispensable."

"Thanks for the compliment, but I doubt it."

She shook her head in irritation, wondering what was so hard to understand about this. "Trust me on this one, Kisame. You'll keep your job and your room."

"And my sanity? I don't know about you, but I'd _really_ rather not test that theory."

She sighed. In the end, it was his choice. With a grimace, she pulled away, not failing to notice the visible wilting that this action caused. She smirked and leaned forward again. "Not even for this?" She kissed him again, pushing herself even closer to him, doing her best to meld herself with him, trying to force him to go back to being the useful little puppet he'd been before. To her pleasant surprise, it worked.

And then it all went wrong. Just as she was really starting to enjoy herself, a figure appeared in the doorway, shadowed by another, much more ominous-looking one.

"What in gods' names is going on here?"


	2. Consequence

"What in gods' names is going on here

_Author's note: again, don't read without having read thesepeopleareus' story first. this scene follows immediately after the last one, and the first half, where they're all in the kitchen, is a direct parallel to the Happy Story. if you want to know what happens to Kisame, go read chapter 13.  
anyway, this started out on way and ended another. let me know what you thought of the ending when you get there. it wasn't what i was expecting, but i can see it happening. -shrug-  
and, as always, this never has been, or will it ever be, mine in any way shape or form. Maddie is thesepeopleareus' OC, so she's _still_ not mine. -sigh-  
--kyra_

"What in gods' names is going on here?"

Konan's head snapped up, her breath catching. She didn't care about the girl who'd spoken – Maddie wasn't her problem, though she didn't envy Kisame – but the figure behind the ghost was far more ominous and far more dreadful for Konan. Kisame didn't appear to have noticed Pein just yet, wrapped up as he was in the horrors of being discovered cheating on his girlfriend by the girlfriend in question.

"Ah… hi Maddie."

Maddie ignored him, something Konan applauded. She might not like the girl, but she almost respected her. Not many could die, then come back and be more dangerous than they'd been before. Of course, Maddie hadn't been that dangerous to begin with, but that wasn't the point. Konan had heard, in far too much detail for her taste, the various conversations between Maddie and Pein, and any girl who could stand up to Pein, even dead, was worth at least the beginnings of respect. However, if Maddie had run back to Kisame with open arms, forgiving him all his faults, even that inkling of respect would have vanished. Konan was a woman with principles, and one of them was, 'never lose an opportunity to Make Him Pay.' Apparently Maddie shared that one, at least.

"Konan, what is going on here?"

Konan grimaced. It had only been a matter of time until they noticed him, but still… She could have used some more time to prepare her answer. She glanced around the room, trying to gauge the mood. Pein, of course, was little less than livid, Maddie looked about in the same state, and Kisame seemed to be caught in that regrettable state halfway between shock and disbelief. Konan slipped out of his arms, noting with no little satisfaction how he once again wilted without her. Maddie's scowl at this truth didn't escape her, and Konan smiled slightly in superiority and satisfaction.

"Well? I am waiting with baited breath for an explanation."

Konan opened her mount to make up something – _anything _– but Kisame beat her to it.

"It was my fault. I seduced her. I apologize. I will accept my punishment without complaint."

Konan glanced at him, then at Pein, wondering if he'd accept the story. She hadn't expected this, but she wouldn't do anything to disprove it, either. Part of being a puppet-master was allowing her puppets to take the blame.

"Well Konan? Is this the truth?"

"Yes Sir." Better to be excruciatingly polite at times like this. Maybe she'd earn points for proper respect.

Apparently so, because Pein nodded slightly at her and turned back to Kisame, his expression morphing into one Konan knew well. It was his patented 'You Are Dead And Haven't Bothered To Lie Down Yet' look. She felt glad that it wasn't being directed at her. Last time he'd taken that Look out of the box where he kept it carefully, the person on the receiving end had expired in a gruesome and dreadful manner soon after. She doubted that Kisame would follow, but he was in some serious trouble all the same.

To Konan's shock, Pein didn't turn toward Kisame and start spitting out metaphoric fire. Instead, he inclined his head at Maddie.

"Would you like some say in the punishment?"

The girl hardly took time to think before nodding.

"Then I will leave Kisame up to you. Come to me when you are finished with him, and I will devise a suitable punishment."

"Thank you, Sir." Maddie bowed, clearly eager to get started. Konan realized that she still wouldn't want to be in Kisame's shoes. While Maddie wasn't anywhere as deadly as Pein could be, she had the look of a girl who has been wronged and wants vengeance.

"Konan, come with me."

Konan stepped farther from Kisame, going slowly out of stubbornness, more than anything else. She would show _him_ that she couldn't be cowed by _anyone_, not even the great Pein. Well, _he _thought he was great, at least. Maddie's expression boded ill for Konan as well as for Kisame, but Konan didn't care. Some criminal _she'd _be if she couldn't defend herself from an undead teenager.

Konan followed Pein out of the kitchen, leaving Kisame to his fate. She didn't even look back as he led her firmly away.

They walked in stony silence to his room. She waited until he'd closed and locked the door, then leaned against the wall, her arms crossed over her chest.

"Which heinous crime in particular are you going to punish me for?"

"How many have you committed?"

"None, that I can think of. We're not married, so it's not adultery, and he accepted, so it's not rape."

"I assume you were the instigator, not him?"

Konan snorted. "Of course I was. Did you expect Kisame to come up to me on his own? He'd have to be a lot braver than I gave him credit for to do that."

"Yet you let him take the blame. Why?"

She shrugged. "I wanted to buy time."

"What for?"

"So as not confess in front of Maddie."

"You have a particular aversion to Maddie?"

"She has the capability of hurting me. I like being alive."

Pein's eyebrows shot up. "You're _afraid_ of her?"

Konan snorted. "I'm not afraid of _anyone_, especially not her. No, I respect her as a worthy opponent and look forward to the day when I can dispose of her."

"Don't kill my men. They're not particularly replaceable."

"Maddie's a girl."

"You know what I meant."

"You could just as easily have been talking about Kisame."

Pein grimaced. "So I could have. But you know me well enough to know that I wasn't. Which reminds me, since it wasn't him who started it, I suppose I have no excuse to kill him myself?"

Konan shrugged. "No one would yell at you if you did. The only one who might would be Itachi, and he's currently off with his own undead lover. Though you'd be short a fighter. Besides, I promised him you wouldn't. You wouldn't want to make me a liar, would you?"

Pein scowled. "At this point, I'd denounce you as a whore and a traitor, if I thought it would do any good."

"You wound me. Do you think for a moment that I _meant_ it?"

He scowled. "You certainly _looked_ like you did."

"I'm a good actress."

He grimaced. "Apparently so." He paused for a long moment, looking off into the distance. When he spoke again, his voice had changed. Gone was the acid edge, gone was the sarcasm and dry wit. In it's place, Konan heard curiosity and, worse, pain. "Why did you do it?"

She sighed. "I'm not sure." Her own voice was serious again; it too lacked the bite and cynicism of moments before. "I felt I had to."

"Are you trying to tell me something? Something I could be doing differently here?"

Konan opened her mouth to deny it, then closed it again. Eris' words flashed through her head again and, suddenly, she wasn't sure. What if she _had_ been trying to tell him something? She looked down at her hands, trying to think of what to tell him.

"Konan."

The tone of his voice, both tender and commanding, forced her to look up at him, her gray eyes meeting his red ones.

"Tell me the truth. What are you trying to tell me."

She shook her head mutely, unable to speak. He reached out to touch her, but she twitched away. She didn't want to be touched. She just wanted to be left alone, just wanted to sit in a corner with the lights off and the windows closed to try and figure out what she was feeling.

He seemed to sense her reluctance, or maybe he just didn't want to be rejected again, because he didn't try and touch her again. Instead he sighed, looking at her with sadness and confusion. She couldn't meet his eyes, couldn't face the open questions in them. Instead, she turned and pulled the door open, slamming it shut behind her, and running to her own room, hoping to anyone listening that no one was watching as the tears began streaming down her face.


	3. Reparation

_Author's note: so before you read this, keep in mind that i _like_ sasori. i wouldn't write slash about him if i didn't like him. having slash written about a character is a privilege, not a right. but. but for this story, i needed to tweak him. actually, i think i did far more than tweak. for all i know, i twisted him into a pretzel and hung him out to dry (i.e. he might be completely OOC and i know nothing about it.) but i've had lots of hits and no reviews, and that makes me sad. not quite as sad as that other story with over 500 hists and no reviews, but still sad. i'd be glad with an, 'i don't understand what the hell's going on here.' i can deal with that! i just want the little red 'reviews' icon to show up next to the title of the story. is that too much to ask? just one little review? if everyone who reads it sends me a single word, then we could even get an entire sentence.  
Disclaimer: still not mine. and the OC's are still not mine either. sorry.  
--kyra_

She sat curled in a ball on her bed, rocking very slightly back and forth, unwilling to even begin to face anything even remotely connected to life. She wasn't one of the ghosts, but she could have been. Anyone seeing her there would have been hard pressed to call her really "alive," though she certainly wasn't dead. No dead person could look _that_ miserable.

She shifted ever so slightly as someone paused in front of her door, willing whoever it was to go away and leave her alone. Surely no one but Pein cared about her, and Pein certainly wasn't going to come and check on her. He was probably already immersed in his oh-so-important tactics and mission planning and general schemes to dominate the world; schemes that always failed, Konan couldn't help but notice. Not that she'd ever tell him that, but she noticed it all the same.

To her surprise, whoever it was didn't leave right away. Instead, they paused looking at her. She must look very pathetic, she was sure. Somehow, she couldn't bring herself to care. The mystery being walked into the room, and she hoped fervently that it wasn't Eris. Facing up to the Goddess' false sympathy was more than she could handle at this point.

It wasn't Eris. It was almost worse. As Eris' boyfriend sat down tentatively beside her, Konan found herself wishing it _had_ been Eris. At least then she would have been able to rage and cry and scream and generally lose it. Temper tantrums didn't impress the Goddess any longer, and she was a very satisfying audience to one such as Konan who didn't want to be discovered.

But this wasn't Eris. This was Sasori, the puppet, the one with no feelings or emotions, the one who was currently in love with the very entity who was at the root of all Konan's problems. Why was _he_ here? Has Eris dispatched him to see if her plans had worked? Was he merely a messenger, sent to check on her and spew some old and creaking cliché designed to make her feel better? She turned farther towards the wall, willing him just to go away.

He didn't. Instead, after a moment's awkward hesitation, he did what no one else so far had bothered to do: he listened to her. Well, actually, he had to get her to talk first, which took some doing, but once she'd begun, he sat there and listened as she vented. She'd started off softly, trying to impress him with her calmness and collectedness, but it had quickly turned into an all out rant, the kind that is only done at the top of one's lungs with a great many expletives thrown in for good measure. When she finally faded to a ragged halt, her tears obscuring her voice as well as her face, and her body quivering from the exertion, he sighed softly.

"I'm sorry."

That shocked her. No Akatsuki worth their salt apologized for something someone else had done. Heck, it was rare to get them to apologize for something _they'd_ done. This business of apologizing for someone else was completely unheard of.

"Why?"

He sighed again, this time in a rueful manner. "Eris is _my_ partner, isn't she? Since she'll never apologize herself, it'd my duty to do it for her."

That didn't make any sense, and she said so.

"Of course it makes sense. Think about it. If I were in your situation, wouldn't you apologize for something Pein had done?"

"No."

"Oh." He stayed silent for a moment, trying to think of an answer to her blunt refusal. "I suppose my grandmother trained morals into me at a young age."

"Your grandmother?"

He nodded. "She raised me, basically. Until I ran off to join Akatsuki, that is."

"Why did you leave?"

He shrugged, clearly uncomfortable. "Who knows? I was younger then."

"Oh."

They sat in silence for a little while longer. Finally, Konan sighed.

"What should I do?"

"How should I know? I'm not the one who messed up."

She scowled, turning away from him once again. She'd been feeling kindly towards him, had been allowing herself to think that he actually _cared_. But no. It had all been an act. Just a stupid, overly vain attempt to manipulate her as though she were one of his stupid puppets. She would show _him_! _No one_ manipulated Konan, not even Sasori, the Puppet Master himself.

"Then why did you even bother coming?"

"You looked like you could use some company."

"Well, you can just forget about that. I'm perfectly fine on my own. I don't need any _men_ to tell me how to feel!" She was proud of the extra venom she managed to inject into the word 'men,' giving it the same inflection as one traditionally used on words such as 'bug' and 'excrement.'

"And I certainly don't need any _girls_ to tell me what to do." He wasn't as good at it. Probably because he didn't have the proper emotional range to truly be either furious or disgusted.

"Then why don't you just leave? Since you clearly can't be bothered to waste time with girls like me. Go find your bitch of a girlfriend, who, by the way, is younger than I am."

"Eris is immortal."

"She doesn't look it, does she? Why do you think she picked the body of a child? Does she think you're some kind of pedophile or something?"

"Eris' and my relationship is none of your business." Was she imagining it, or did he sound… _hesitant_? What was going on between him and the Goddess of meddlers?

"Touchy about it, are you?"

"I don't need to explain myself to you."

"Then why are you here? Did she tell you to come? Did she tell you, 'Oh, go see if Konan needs a shoulder to cry on?' Well, you can tell her thanks for me. I thoroughly enjoyed soaking you to the skin. I hope you sit there and _rust_, you… you…"

"First of all, I'm not metal, so I won't rust. Secondly, you didn't touch me. Thirdly, no one sent me. I came because I thought you might want someone who would listen to you. Apparently I was wrong. Be sure that I won't do it again."

"When will you ever have the opportunity?"

"Next time Eris gets bored."

Konan gifted him with a look of scorn which could have melted diamonds. "I'm smarter that that, puppet. I won't fall for it again."

"Funny how everyone says that, isn't it? Yet somehow, every time, they do what she wants them to. She's almost as good a puppet master as I am."

"I can see why you two are such a good couple. Both of you try to manipulate the other into doing what you want them to, and neither succeeds, and you stay together in hopes of one day breaking the impasse."

Sasori's grin was positively feral. "What makes you think I never win? The dents in the floor are there for a _reason_."

She crossed her arms in a manner which informed him _exactly_ what she thought of the dents in the floor. His grin widened.

"Would you care to try it?"

She slapped him. She hadn't intended to, hadn't intended to ever touch the… the _thing_, but she couldn't help herself. Her hand snapped up and, before she knew it, he was staggering back, one hand pressed to his cheek. His eyes were wide with something that could almost be fear.

"What did you _do_?"

She tossed her head, sending her hair cascading down her back. "_No one_ takes advantage of me, puppet. Not you, not your girlfriend, not Pein, not Death Himself. Remember this next time you try to use me. I won't be so nice next time."

"There won't _be_ a next time," he spat.

"Good. You can leave now."

He left, still holding his hand to his cheek. She hoped she'd cracked it. It would serve him right. He had no business saying things like that! Hell, he had no business even _talking_ to her! It had only been incredible weakness on her part to allow him to get that far into her shell. It would not happen again. It would never happen again. Her shell was strong, and she could built it stronger. Her walls would be made of diamonds and reinforced concrete with no windows. Light would never get through, would never harm the soft parts inside. She'd grow thorns around the wall for good measure. And next time someone tried to take advantage of her, she'd be ready for them. She smiled in anticipation, a cruel, completely predatory smile. Oh yes, she would be ready.


	4. Satisfaction

_Author's note: this is getting very confusing, what with new stories and different chapters and whatnot. -sigh- suffice it to say that this is the last chapter of this story and all the extras are now stories of their own. i really wouldn't blame you if you've completely given up on me after this... if you're interested, the other POV's are called "In the eyes of the beholder."  
Disclaimer: i'm sure the creators of Naruto make far more sense than we do...  
--kyra_

* * *

"Merely that we of the female species are both subtler and more intelligent than you poor males. I fully intend to douse Konan's supper with something nasty."

"I heard that."

Maddie turned away from Kisame to see Konan coming up the stairs, her arms crossed over her chest. Maddie seemed unconcerned that her plans had been discovered.

"Did you? Well then, I'll just have to think of something else, won't I?"

Konan snorted slightly. There was no way in any of the hells that Maddie could do anything to _her_. "You can _try_. But I'm older and more experienced than you are. You don't think you can trick _me_, do you?"

Maddie's answering smile was all sweetness and light, with no plotting whatsoever. It made Konan exceedingly nervous, though she refused to show it. "Your flaw, Konan, is your overconfidence. Trust me, Sir Leader can't protect you all the time."

Affronted, Konan demanded, "You are implying that I cannot protect myself?"

Maddie's smile didn't fade. "No, just that he has bodies to spare while you don't."

Konan sighed, planting her hands on her hips. "Your point is?"

Maddie's grin only widened. "Be patient. Wait until the men folk have finished attempting to kill each other – again – over _their_ object of mutual affection, and then we can deal with ours."

Konan nodded. "That seems fair. I'll go tell Pein that I will be otherwise occupied this evening."

"You do that. And I didn't think bigamy on the side was tolerated."

"It's not bigamy if you're not married." Not that Pein would care one way or another. Konan had long ago established that, as long as she was there for him when he wanted her, she could do whatever she wanted. Her mistake this time had been in getting caught.

"Good point. Even so, I doubt he'll approve."

"He's tough. He knows I'll come back to him when I've had my fun." She nodded at Maddie, glanced one last time at the dueling specters, and drifted away, going to find Pein and inform him of her plans for the evening. He didn't seem surprised.

"It was only a matter of time," he commented dryly.

"I suppose it was," she agreed. "Am I forgiven yet?"

He shot her a glare, but it wasn't as venomous as they'd been before. He'd had time to recover some of his composure. "Not in the least. You won't be forgiven for a _long_ time, I'm afraid."

"Shame. Does that mean you won't welcome me to your bed until then?"

"I'll think about it. Though I suspect that, were I to enforce such a decree, you would just try and find someone else. I would advise against trying for Kisame again. Maddie can get vicious."

"You are implying that I don't already know that?"

"No, just that you haven't actually seen what she can do yet."

"Oh, and you have?"

"Have you taken a look at Deidara's room lately?"

"I try to avoid it if at all possible."

"I'd suggest you go see. It's well worth the detour."

"I'll keep that in mind."

He looked at her for a moment, then remarked quietly, "I wish you'd reconsider."

Konan scowled. "I'm going to take that as a plea for my company tonight instead of an implication that I cannot defend myself against a ghost."

"Take it as you wish. I just wish you wouldn't do this."

"You can wish all you want. She was the one who issued the challenge."

"And you are within your rights to refuse it."

"And look like a coward before the entire base? I think not."

He sighed. "Fine then. And when you've had your fun, come back and we'll talk, all right?"

She inclined her head towards him. "All right. But why do I have the feeling we won't get much talking done?"

He had no answer to that. She hadn't been expecting one. She waited a beat, then nodded once at him and made her way to her own room to prepare for the confrontation ahead.

Konan stood, her weight balanced, her mind ready to call up her paper form at a moment's notice. Maddie hovered across from her, ribbons floating freely. Neither spoke, both watching the other for any signs of motion. Suddenly, Maddie struck, her fribbons coiling around what appeared to be empty air and jerking upwards. Konan felt the rug she was standing on twitch, and she jumped up, only to see it soar out from under where she had been to settle at Maddie's side.

Konan pulled out a sheet of paper and folded it deftly, shaping it into a katana. Holding it ready, she took a step forward.

"That won't wo-rk," Maddie taunted, skipping away. "I'm insubstantial, _remember_?"

Konan grimaced. "I am well aware of that fact," she promised the girl.

"Then your paper thing won't hurt me!"

"Oh, it's not destined to hurt _you_, I assure you."

Confusion flickered briefly across Maddie's face. "Wait, what?"

Konan's grimaced morphed itself into a cold smile. "You heard me."

"Heard, yes. Understood? No. Explain."

Konan whirled, aimed, and shot the paper knife directly at Kisame, who was observing in the background. Maddie's eyes widened, and a large chair rose to block the knife's path. The paper embedded itself into the back of the chair, quivering.

"That's cheating," Maddie screeched, lowering the chair once again. "You're not fighting _him_, you're fighting _**me**_!"

"You are one for stating the obvious, aren't you?"

"And you're one for ignoring the rules!"

Konan laughed. "Rules? What rules? We're _criminals_, remember? We _exist_ to break the rules!"

"Not our own!"

"Which would be…?"

"Fighting one person at a time!"

Konan laughed again. "Maybe _you_ can only handle one at a time, but _some_ of us are stronger than you. Most of us are, in fact."

"No you're not! You're underestimating me just because I'm younger than you, aren't you? I'm so _sick_ of people doing that!" With that, she promptly deposited a table on Konan's head.

Konan crawled out from under it, her head aching slightly. She was beginning to see what Pein meant. It wasn't so much that Maddie was dangerous, as that she didn't know when to stop.

"I'm speaking from experience and prior knowledge," Konan snapped, folding another sheet of paper. "You're young and inexperienced and… especially… _dead_!"

"I seem to be able to work around those, don't I?"

"With people who aren't expecting you. Have you ever actually _fought_ anyone who knew what you were doing?"

"And what am I doing?"

"You're using your environment to your advantage. It's the only advantage you have."

"You mean disregarding the bit about me being able to hurt you and you not being able to touch me?"

"There are ways around that."

"Like what?"

Konan merely grinned again and revealed her paper creation. A small lion sat in the palm of her hand, roaring inaudibly.

"Am I supposed to be impressed or something?"

Konan ignored her and retrieved her paper katana. Folding it back into shape, she murmured a silent apology to the lion and swiftly chopped its head off.

"What are you _doing_?"

Konan still didn't answer, watching her lion in hopes that her idea had worked. Finally, the lion shuddered and a ghost lion came out of the paper shell. Konan felt a small part of her adjust to this new state of affairs, and she knew that, if she made too many of these, she herself would fade away and become a ghost. Pein wouldn't appreciate that. She would have to be careful.

"What did you _do_ to it?" Maddie demanded in horror.

"I killed it. What does it look like?"

"That's… that's _cruel_!"

Konan snorted. "It's not like it actually _felt_ anything." She glanced at the lion and the ghost part of her mind sent it off to draw Maddie's blood… or whatever ghosts had instead of blood. It began raking her with its tiny claws, causing the girl to squeak first in surprise, then in pain. The lion continued to do its best to rip her into shreds as Konan watched.

Maddie tried to bat the lion away, but Konan was far more experienced than Maddie, and the lion evaded her every swat. Finally, her face contorted in pain and anger, Maddie turned back to Konan.

"That's it! I'm done playing nicely!"

Konan snorted again. Her snort quickly turned into a slight noise (never would she _ever_ call it a 'squeak,' though Maddie later swore that that's what it was) of surprise as she felt herself being lifted bodily out the window.

Maddie floated before her, her angry expression countered by the light in her eyes.

"Bye bye Konan." And then Maddie dropped her.

Konan's eyes closed on their own volition, and she braced herself for the impact. But a smaller, more rational portion of her brain remained in control and began fabricating paper wings to save her from being crushed on the ground. Mere inches before she hit the afore mentioned ground, the wings burst out, giving her a sudden burst of height. She soared back up to the window, where Maddie was still attempting to deal with her lion.

"Missed me?"

Maddie turned to stare, her eyes narrowing. "Hey! I threw you out the window! You should be dead!"

"I'm not that easy to kill. Besides, if I were dead, then I'd be a ghost too, so that wouldn't be any fun!"

"He wouldn't let you go!"

"Who?"

"The God of Death, of course!"

Konan grimaced. "I can deal with Gods."

"You haven't met this one."

"Probably a good thing."

"He's Eris' brother."

"I care about this why?"

"He hates her."

"That could be a problem."

Maddie nodded.

"It's still your turn."

"What?"

"To try to kill me. It's your turn."

"Oh, right." Maddie glanced around the room, still fending off the lion, which had taken a liking to her fribbons. One of those fribbons reached back and came back pulling a knife. Konan eyed it with respect, and got to work making one of her own.

"Can you even use that thing?" she asked, folding rapidly.

"Of course I can! You wanna try me?"

"I thought that was the entire point of this. Why don't you come out here? Fighting through a window could be… awkward."

Maddie complied, stepping through the window to hover level with Konan. Both leveled their knives, looking each other in the eye. Konan called her lion back, not wanting him to distract either of them. He perched on her shoulder… or tried to. She twitched as his body went through her. It was the oddest feeling. It tried again, and went through her again. With what sounded suspiciously like a sigh – odd, coming from a headless creature – it settled for hovering directly above her shoulder, tail extended and feet spread out for balance. Its head sat at its feet, watching the action with bring eyes.

Maddie moved first again, darting towards Konan. Konan dodged, but her wings didn't, and Maddie sliced through one of them. Not enough to make her fall out of the air, but definitely enough to make a difference. Konan examined the damage, sighing. More than she could fix during a fight. She would have to deal with it later.

"Aren't you going to strike…" Maddie's taunt was cut short as Konan launched herself forwards, paper knife at the ready. She sliced right through Maddie, making no difference. The lion, at her silent command, extended its claws and wracked Maddie's knife arm. The girl winced.

"Hey!"

Konan glanced back. "Going on about the rules again? I thought I told you that they were made to be broken!"

Maddie scowled, not answering. She came towards Konan again, this time only managing to nick the tip of the other wing. Lovely. Now she was handicapped on both sides. At least she wouldn't be lopsided. Much.

"Had enough yet?" Maddie demanded, panting slightly.

Konan didn't even dignify that with an answer, choosing instead to strike again. Maddie, prepared for the lion, dodged, but not before she received another scratch on the face. She scowled.

"I'm going to _kill_ that thing!"

"That would be cruelty to animals," Konan pointed out. "You wouldn't want that, would you?"

"It's dead."

"So are you."

"That's different. At least I was alive once!"

"So was it. Just because it wasn't made of flesh and blood doesn't mean it wasn't alive. You're getting species-ist in your old age."

"Oh, like _you're_ one to talk about being old! I bet you're at least ten years older than I am!"

Before Konan could answer, a familiar emotionless voice drifted towards them. "Are we interrupting anything?"

Konan and Maddie glanced down to see Michiko and Itachi coming towards them.

"Nothing at all," Konan replied. "We're just about finished here."

Maddie grimaced and came forward again, her knife at the ready. "You're right, we are!"

Konan sighed and folded her wings in, dropping straight down to the ground. Maddie followed, but a tad more slowly, and Konan had already landed and stepped away by the time the girl struck.

"Get back here!"

"Again with the rules. You'll never learn, will you?"

"Rules?" Itachi again, managing to inject the question with absolutely no curiosity. "What rules?"

"Exactly!" Konan looked at Maddie in triumph. "_He _knows how it works!"

"He's been doing this longer than I have," Maddie muttered rebelliously. "Not my fault!"

"I thought you learned quickly."

"Shut up!"

"Resorting to insults? I thought you were supposed to be killing me, not talking at me."

Maddie glowered and came in again. Suddenly, she stopped, staring at a spot slightly beyond Konan's shoulder. Konan turned to see Eris coming towards them.

"Please," the Goddess said, raising her hands in a gesture of innocence that looked completely out of place, "don't stop on my account."

Maddie's eyes narrowed, clearly putting the pieces together. "It's _your_ fault!" she proclaimed. She turned back to Konan. "It is, isn't it?"

"You could say that, yes," Konan agreed dryly.

"You're going to try to throw that at me, aren't you?" Eris nodded at Maddie's knife.

"That was the plan, yes," Maddie agreed through clenched teeth.

"Sorry dear. Won't work. I'm a Goddess, remember? Your mortal things won't touch me."

"They can do their best," Maddie growled.

"It won't work," Eris repeated. "And I'd rather you not try, if it's all the same to you. But please, go back to trying to slice dear Konan into little pieces. That was entertaining."

"For you, maybe," Konan muttered. She was getting very tired of Eris.

"I _am_ the Goddess of chaos."

"We've noticed," Maddie agreed. "You don't need to keep announcing it."

Eris smiled. "But it's part of who I _am_! You wouldn't want me to change who I am, would you?"

"Anything but that," Konan commented, her voice dripping with dry sarcasm.

"Nonsense. Life wouldn't be any _fun_ without Eris around!"

"Fun for who?"

"Fun is in the eye of the beholder."

Maddie grimaced. "Which would be you?"

"Of course!"

Konan grimaced. "Can we get this over with please? I'm getting bored here."

"Oh, anything but that."

Maddie scowled at Konan. "You sound like _her_."

"Oh, anything but that."

Both Eris and Maddie glared at Konan, who shrugged. "Are you done yet?" she asked Eris.

"You think you're funny, do you?"

Konan shrugged again. "Only when I can't avoid it."

Maddie glowered at her and raised the knife again.

"Aren't you getting tired of doing that yet?"

"You wish."

"You're right. I do." Konan looked from Maddie to Eris. "I'm going to leave now."

"No you're not!" Maddie screamed, but Konan had already unfurled her wings. They weren't healed, but they were quite sufficient to propel her off the air and back towards the open window. Maddie followed, but Konan ignored her. She pulled out another sheet of paper and began turning it into a kitten.

Just as Maddie caught up with her, knife at the ready, Konan turned towards her with a bring smile, katana at the ready. Maddie's eyes locked on the kitten, and she gasped.

"You wouldn't…"

"I'm making you a pet."

"You're going to kill it!"

"You won't notice."

"It'll be dead!"

"So are you, yet it doesn't seem to bother you much." Konan leveled her katana and gently flicked it across the kitten's throat. Maddie gasped as it collapsed into Konan's cupped hands.

"You killed it!"

"You are once again stating the obvious."

"But…"

"Watch." They both watched as the specter of the kitten rose out of the paper shell. Konan ushered it towards the girl, who was looking at it with rapt eyes. "Have fun."

"Thank you!" Suddenly, Maddie's eyes narrowed. "What's the catch?"

"You are to stop trying to kill me."

"And you'll stay away from Kisame?"

Konan inclined her head in agreement.

"Good." Maddie turned back to the dead kitten, her eyes melting back into teenage soppiness. Konan drifted through the window, folding her wings back up and assuring herself that she was perfectly content with the role she was assigned within Akatsuki. It was far more trouble than she wanted to break out that role, despite the entertainment factor. After all, she wouldn't want to turn into Eris, would she?

So things went back to what passed for normal, and Konan retreated back to her room, completely unaware of the next crisis brewing just around the corner.


End file.
